Poll: No on 34 Has 10-Point Lead

The latest Business Roundtable/Pepperdine poll has the "no" vote on California Proposition 34, death penalty repeal, 10% ahead, with 39.6% yes to 49.3% no. The "no" vote also has an intensity advantage, with nearly 2/3 of the nos being "strongly no," while only 2/5 of the yeses are "strongly yes."

The trend line is also interesting. The margin for "no" took a big jump after the Aurora, Colorado
massacre and had been narrowing since. This poll shows a 2-point
increase in the margin.

The increase in the lead for "no" came not from an increase in "no" responses (which were actually down a tick) but from a 4% jump in "unsure." This could be just a statistical glitch. However, it could be the result of the No on 34 campaign reminding Californians just how bad these murderers are. That would be consistent with both the loss of intensity in support for the initiative and the movement of "yes" voters into "unsure."

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The 729 on death row murdered at least 1,279 people, with 230 children. 43 were police officers. 211 were raped, 319 were robbed, 66 were killed in execution style, and 47 were tortured. 11 murdered other inmates.

The arguments in support of Pro. 34, the ballot measure to abolish the death penalty, are exaggerated at best and, in most cases, misleading and false.

No “savings.” Alleged savings ignore increased life-time medical costs for aging inmates and require decreased security levels and housing 2-3 inmates per cell rather than one. Rather than spending 23 hours/day in their cell, inmates will be required to work. These changes will lead to increased violence for other inmates and guards and prove unworkable for these killers. Also, without the death penalty, the lack of incentive to plead the case to avoid the death penalty will lead to more trial and related costs and appeals.

No “accountability.” Max earnings for any inmate would amount to $383/year (assuming 100% of earnings went to victims), divided by number of qualifying victims. Hardly accounts for murdering a loved one.

No “full enforcement” as 729 inmates do not receive penalty given them by jurors. Also, for the 34,000 inmates serving life sentences, there will be NO increased penalty for killing a guard or another inmate. They’re already serving a life sentence.

Efforts are also being made to get rid of life sentences. (Human Rights Watch, Old Behind Bars, 2012.) This would lead to possible paroles for not only the 729 on death row, but the 34,000 others serving life sentences. On 9/30/12, Brown passed the first step, signing a bill to allow 309 inmates with life sentences for murder to be paroled after serving as little as 15 years. Life without parole is meaningless. Remember Charles Manson and Sirhan Sirhan. Convicted killers get out and kill again, such as Darryl Thomas Kemp, Kenneth Allen McDuff, and Bennie Demps.

Arguments of innocence bogus. Can’t identify one innocent person executed in CA. Can’t identify one person on CA’s death row who has exhausted his appeals and has a plausible claim of innocence. See http://cadeathpenalty.webs.com/